Most expensive vet visit?

Question

What was your most expensive vet visit for your pet?

It seems there are a lot of pet owners that don't think beyond the initial "purchase" of their new friend.

For example, we recently spent $1400 all-together on our new puppy. Plus his adoption fee and all the new stuff that a puppy requires... its a darn good thing we had that money as an emergency fund.

The puppy most definitely wasn't well. He started off with kennel cough, then developed an upper respiratory infection. Then, when hospitalized at the vets with the infection they found that he had parvo. 4 days at the vets with several blood tests to test his white cell count, IV and IV antibiotics... it all added up.

Answer 1

I've been lucky so far, most bills have been below £200 ($400), but that doesn't include food and incidentals.

To my mind, if you have a pet, you treat is as a member of the family, not as an object or fashion accessory.

If necessary, I'd sell my possessions to keep my cats. Unless you are prepared to make that commitment, you shouldn't have a pet.

Answer 2

I have probably never spent more than 200 dollars for Vet Care at the most, at a given time and that included medicines. I have my dogs on great diets, limit what they can get into that could get them sick, and when they are sick, know what to do and what to look for that would warrant a trip to the Vet.
I have a dog that had pancreatitis, but because I was able to put the needles under her skin to hydrate her and give her the solution including antibiotics and anti-nausea meds, it was much cheaper for me and the dog was more comfortable being treated at home. That is when I started learning the most about diet and natural remedies. I certainly use the chemical medicines when indicated, but am glad my Vet balances our pet care out with natural remedies.
1400 dollars to get a well puppy started in life is a very large amount of money. Not that a puppy isn't worth that, I just don't have that to spend at the doctor's office for myself!
If there was a surgery needed, I am sure I would have to spend a lot. But so far so good, and the only surgeries I have had to have my pups get is to be spayed.

Answer 3

For ONE visit? I'd say $900. For all the follow up care and the blood tests, you can add on another $1,200.

For lifetime cost--our 10 year old cat who we've had for 7 years has reached about $5,000. The lowest cost cat who is 12 right now is about $1,000 for lifetime cost. This does NOT include food or litter, toys or anything non-vet related. This is just vet costs and medicine.

I budget about $500 per year per cat, just to be safe. Some only were the cost of a checkup and boosters for the year ($60 - $90) but some far exceeded that with emergencies or long term care for problems (thyroid, kidneys, pancreatitis, diabetes).

Answer 4

Very good question, I just called the vet reguarding my english mastiff, she's almost 1 and due for distemper and heartworm for the year! Every visit seems expensive but the 1st one with our mastiff was like $250 to get her a complete check up! She is apart of my family and I take care of her vet appointments as I do for my 4 year daughter! That's why it hurts so bad when they go to heaven!

Answer 5

23,000 a horse that we adopted to keep her from going to the meat people we had to have a steel plate 8" and 23 screws put in her right rear and now she is just a pasture ornament but thats because she had won our hearts as a pet.That just the surgery and not the price for feed ,hay, alfalfa and vet visits for the last 15 yr.

Answer 6

oh my...i believe i have had close to $500 but i was able to get the agency where i adopted the puppy to pay the fee back to me.

shots and visits are very expensive. i have pet insurance but i am not always sure if it is worth it but i do get money back and some items are covered. check out vpi pet insurance at http://www.vpi.com

Answer 7

It has been so long ago since I had a pet, but I have heard of dogs that have cancer and I bet that is the most expensive cost. They have to go all of the things that humans have to do.

Answer 8

Any thing that requires an emergency vet trip. They have pet insurance though for things of that nature.

Answer 9

3,500.- at a clinic to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease, and worth every penny if the pooch can be saved.

You really do need to have a fund put aside for emergency vetting - it doesn't happen often, but if it does, you can't just throw the dog away, he's part of the family and you need to do what you can for him.
Also, what kind of example does it set for your kids if you consider something living, feeling, who depends on you as simply expendible??

Answer 10

$1200 on a degu(small animal-looks like a gerbil. Only cost me $15 to buy). She got her leg caught in something and needed it amputated. They were not even sure if she was going to live. Between pre-surgery care, the surgery, and post-op it came to over 1000 dollars.